I’ve often taken a snarky approach when it comes to people who set up blogs for their pets. I barely want to read about humans’ mundane lives, let alone issues with litter and pooper scoopers. However, there might be a new reason to subscribe to Lucky, Fido or Buddy’s blog.

Animals’ ability to prognosticate goes far beyond the annual Groundhog Day ritual. Since the beginning of time, many have believed that little furry creatures (and fish!) can tip off humans to imminent natural disasters.

…an earthquake specialist from the US Geological Survey in San Francisco kept a record of the numbers of small ads for lost pets in the local newspaper. He found there was a dramatic upsurge in missing pets weeks before a quake. How animals could forecast earthquakes is not known.

Animals also seem to forecast severe weather. There were many reports of bizarre animal behaviour before the cyclone that devastated Bangladesh (then called East Pakistan), in November 1970. For example, dogs howled endlessly for days, cattle became restless and stopped eating and ants moved to higher positions.

Given the recent disasters in Myanmar (Burma) and China, it might be time to start monitoring the moods of our four-legged companions.

Forget thinking that you’re in the wrong job — I think I’m the wrong creature.

According to reports, stray turned celebrity cat Hatch-chan has his own Japanese blog which has built up a following of some 50,000 every day.

Granted, human intervention by his photographer owners was required to catapult him to stardom, but that’s a pretty impressive statistic for the blog of any life form.

Working the social networks to promote him, his owners now have pretty business-savvy merchandising skills. Hatch-chan tends to do more than your average feline, too, including touring department stores, meeting fans, or recording TV shows.

Blog’s by non-human’s aren’t restricted to domesticated animals and man’s best friend. No, they also include sacred animals, like cows. Especially cows that are targeted for euthanizing.

Such is the case of “Shambo”, the temple bull at Skanda Vale Monastery, in Carmarthenshire, England Wales. “Shambo” has a tuberculosis positive skin test, and is, according to the policy of the local health authority, to be put down. In an effort to raise public awareness, the monks at the temple have put up a “blog” of sorts for Shambo, where it writes down its thoughts for the day. That is, he kicks it old-school, as Shambo (or “Shambo”) hand codes his thoughts without the benefit of a blogging engine, like WordPress or Typepad.

While it is sprinkled with such gems, such as the following:

Whoa, have I got news for you! They all have been out here today. Tomorrow I hear the Queen is paying a visit. I think I hit celebrity status – do they do Big Brother for Bovines.

But anyway chief veterinary officer was here today and I was so relieved, (with her enormous wealth of knowledge), she said I was in fine fettle. She also said I was perfectly well isolated from wild life, other cows and everything else. But one thing I just don’t get is why on earth on the basis of highly inaccurate test they all want to kill me, this officer couldn’t quiet answer that one, apparently.

All the monks tell me my Bovine Buddies are calling in from Russia, the States and even Japan. Anyway I want to go back to my nuts, I am being spoilt rotten so don’t tell the rest of the herd. I’ll have more moos for you tomorrow. Lots of Love, Shambo.

… it does afford an interesting window into the difficulties that the monks — err, Shambo — are having with the conflict between public health and private worship. Even without comments. Or Trackbacks. Or fancy plugins.